steeped...

I've finally got a little bit of time to reflect...
just this little moment, but it is enough i venture, thank you Lord.

The thing that has stuck in my mind since the weekend,
was that thing that I heard in the Trackers graduation...
When pastor Kai Ming gave time for the mentors to be prayed for...
I thought that those were the sweetest moments, and really,
I wished that they would have been surrounded by grateful & thankful ones,
but it was not the case...and i guess...that's the thing about it...
I'm sure the mentors were not looking for such things...
but if anyone had gone up to them, it would have really shown them love...
the Love of God, in action...not because they were told they had to do it...

There was the greatest words of truth spoken there on stage,
none of the mentors really needed to be there,
they chose to give, to share lives, to reveal their hurts, pains,
to show their flaws, yet also how God has redeemed them.
Some of them could have been looking after their kids,
others had other responsibilities that were put on hold...
the common thread that bound them? Love for God and people,
and faith, to see God work through these months.
Who would see those unseen scars, how many bear hurts from those they loved?
I venture to say...all...because you cannot truly love til you care enough to hurt.
So...in my heart that day, because I know how hard it truly is...
my heart was for the mentors, because in that prayer time...
I saw a picture of God remoulding and healing...
Him making it alright, and worthwhile because it truly is...
Some think it is an easy or glamourous job...those with the heart know it's truly not,
it is hard work, it gets dirty, and painful, but when done with great love, it bears fruit.

And it was a blessing to be one of the last few to leave the premises that day,
at the end, who was left? who cleared up the food? who made sure the guard had it easy?
I saw a picture of the people I'm gonna be working alongside with in future,
and I love the heart of these mentors already...we have the same passion,
the same desire to see Christ lifted up, the same drivenness to press on...
It doesn't matter about the hurt or pain, there is a time to tend to that...
but to do what is placed in our hands now, and to love well...that is our portion

Tea is made by steeping a pot of hot water with leaves...
thereafter, the water takes on the flavour & aroma of the leaves
God uses lives pretty much the same way...
People flavour the water, some leave a bitter taste, others a soothing one,
In chinese tea making tradition, the first few brews are discarded...
for various reasons, and I believe that there is a parallel there...
Our role is not to question why, but to continue...
being in the hot water, steeping the pot, the maker will do what He will...
and one fine day, we may discover, what beauty or pleasure that steeping made

Being thankful is not telling God you appreciate the fact that your life is not in shambles. 

If that is the basis of your gratitude, you are on slippery ground. 

Every day of your life you face the possibility that a blessing in your life may be taken away. 

But blessings are only signs of God's love. 

The real blessing, of course, is the love itself. 

Whenever we get too attached to the sign, 

we lose our grasp on the God who gave it to us. 

Churches are filled with widows who can explain this to you. 

We are not ultimately grateful that we are still holding our blessings. 

We are grateful that we are held by God even when the blessings are slipping through our fingers. 

~Craig Barnes~